Aged or balsamic vinegar for aficionados

A good vinegar is a must for every salad. Vinegar, particularly balsamic vinegar, is also a highly valued ingredient in haute cuisine, and you can find it even in starters and desserts as a spice or ingredient.

The final touch to great food

Berce balsamic vinegar jis a thicker vinegar with characteristic sweet and sour flavours. It is great paired with cheese or tomato, and you can use it to season carpaccio and mortadella. The more daring can pair a balsamic vinegar reduction with ice cream or strawberries. In general, it goes nicely with all fruit and vegetable salads.

Berce aged vinegar goes perfectly with all types of lettuce and strongly flavoured salad leaves. You can also use it in salads with grains and pasta salads. Because it is aged, its aroma is richer than the aroma of common wine vinegar, and will give your salad a special twist.

Production process

There are two secrets to the vinegar from the Berce Estate: superb wine from which vinegar is made, and our long fermentation process.

The fermentation process has two phases::

• • firstly, sugar in must is converted into alcohol (alcoholic fermentation);
• • secondly, alcohol is converted into acetic acid (acetic fermentation or acidification).

The first phase takes two to four weeks, while the second takes more time.

Time is the most we can give

Acidification is a slow, natural and traditional process taking place in oak barrels. Berce vinegar and balsamic vinegar are aged in this way. During the process, vinegar becomes naturally thicker and acquires its characteristic flavour.

Balsamic vinegar ages for at least six years, which is why it is characteristically full-bodied and velvety.

Wine vinegar is aged for at least two years. With ageing, it becomes a darker burgundy in colour, and has a richer and fuller flavour, and more balanced acidity than the common wine vinegar.